Where does Valentine's Day come from?
The feast day of February 14th of each year is celebrated by Valentine, considered the King of Lovers. Valentine was a priest of ancient Rome, martyred in 268 by Emperor Claudius.
Indeed, in the early 200s, marriage was forbidden by law, since the Emperor considered that married men made poor fighters, as they did not want to leave their families behind. But Valentine, then well known for his humanism, decided, as a priest, to secretly bless the marriage to the lovers, which drew the wrath of Claudius, who had him executed on February 14. Legend has it that Valentine, just before dying, offered the jailer's daughter heart-shaped leaves bearing a message: "from your Valentine."
A little later, Pope Délasse I decided that this day would be dedicated to the memory of Valentine, then considered the Patron Saint of Lovers.
Today, this story continues every February 14th, when love is celebrated in all sorts of ways around the world. Many marriage proposals occur on this romantic date, a tradition that is not only due to Valentine, but also to a custom that dates back to Ancient Rome, long before the arrival of the Holy Priest, during the Lupercalia (a great Roman festival) that took place from February 13th to 15th of each year in this region.
The Lupercalia ceremony always ended with a large banquet, where each young girl placed her name in a large jar, leaving the young unmarried men to draw lots for the name of the one who would accompany her throughout the year. Often, the young lovebirds fell in love and eventually married.
Today, Valentine's Day is still as popular as ever for lovers, and even for those looking for love, hoping to find the man of their dreams on this day when romance is in the spotlight. People exchange gifts, cards representing love, or even flowers and chocolate. Casanova even claimed that " The pleasures granted by seduced women are proportional to the quantity of champagne, oysters, truffles and cherries they consume .
Jewelry, of course, is still appreciated by romantic admirers and longtime lovers alike who want to celebrate this special day. Heart-shaped rubies and diamonds are prized for this occasion, as are any other gems with romantic significance.
Happy Valentine's Day!